Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Come Holy Spirit, and heal our hearts. Bring us together, unified in
body, heart, and soul, to soothe the sorrowing and comfort the
afflicted. Give us hands and hearts and will to do your work, O God,
that justice rolls down to restore the land. May we seek reconciliation
as the foundation for true peace in both our relationships and in the
world. May we stand with brothers and sisters in time of mourning or in
time of trial: we pray for your peace and grace to bear them up. We rest
and renew our spirits in the loving arms of God: Creator, Redeemer, and
Sustainer. Bless us with holy wisdom, O Loving One, and hear the
prayers of your people.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Creator God, we come before You in awe for the works of Your Hands which
sustain us in each moment and breath. Almighty One, we lie down in
sleep and rise in thanksgiving, knowing that You are always by our
sides. You set the stars in their courses- help us follow the paths of
peace and justice this day. You clothe the lilies of the field in
beauty-- help us to put on the raiment of righteousness and walk humbly
with our companions. Your eye is on the sparrow- watch over those who
are in need, sorrow, or pain, especially these we now name.

Sunday, September 28, 2014

O God, we raise our voices in praise to You, and offer our prayers in
hope and trust. Let us go into your courts with thanksgiving, and seek
to serve you always. Let us join together at your altar, offering
ourselves as a living sacrifice, fed by your grace. Send us out, renewed
and energized to love and serve our Lord, Jesus Christ, the Incarnate
One. Guide and guard us on right pathways as we seek to testify to your
love and mercy. Fill us with your Spirit, and enliven our minds to hear
your Word. Trusting in your unfailing love in times of joy or anxiety,
we lift up these loved ones especially to your care.Amen.

Saturday, September 27, 2014

From
the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by
stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water
for the people to drink. 2The people quarreled with Moses, and said,
"Give us water to drink." Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel
with me? Why do you test the Lord?" 3But the people thirsted
there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, "Why
did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with
thirst?" 4So Moses cried out to the Lord, "What shall I do
with this people? They are almost ready to stone me." 5The Lord
said to Moses, "Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of
Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile,
and go. 6I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at
Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may
drink." Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7He
called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and
tested the Lord, saying, "Is the Lord among us or not?"

(Note: We saw this reading
earlier this year on the 3rd Sunday in Lent, March 23.)

As I was pondering this
reading, I was enjoying a rare afternoon to sit in my backyard garden. It’s the
first day off I’ve had in about a month. I decided while I was sitting here to
water all the different plants in the hillside garden around the seating area where
I like to work. I made sure to fill up the birdbaths while I was at it. Then I
just turned on the hose and let it start running down the hill to water all the
hostas, ferns, and other plants that dwell under the canopy of trees in our
backyard. After about 10 minutes, suddenly there was great rejoicing in the
Land of Birds, and dozens of sparrows, finches, chickadees, and wrens began to
wing their way over to wash themselves in the birdbath and in the puddles of
water on the ground. One of them even had the temerity to land on the empty
birdfeeder, give me the stink eye, rap the base of the empty feeder sharply
with its beak a couple times, and then flutter off in a huff, as if to say,
“Get up off your duff, and get me some food, woman.” Never mind that I had
generously turned on the hose, which is what had drawn these birds here in the
first place. Never mind that I had graciously filled the bird bath and emptied
of all the leaves and other junk that accumulated in it.This bird was not satisfied, and he was letting
me know it. Meanwhile, a gang of sparrows promptly and joyously splashed out
all the water I had placed in the birdbath, and one of them flew to a branch
over my head and started to shrilly berate me to refill it.

Are these birds never
satisfied?

And the answer is, NO. Once
I started providing them with birdseed and water, they expect me to keep doing
it.The nerve! That’s also the way it is
when you help people, sometimes, too.There are some people in the world who, when you get into a relationship
with them, it ends up being all about them. No matter how much you give them,
they always want more. No matter how much you give them, they’re never
grateful. They never seem to stop and think, ”Okay, that’s enough.” Some of
those people we call ”babies,” and having one of those things basically means a
lifetime of servitude to them (I’m kidding). They’re perfectly satisfied when
all their needs are met—the problem is, that their needs don’t STAY met. Anyone
was ever changed a filthy diaper, smiled into the angelic face of a
six-month-old who has fought you every step of the way while you clean her up,
and then watched her bat her eyelashes and coo blissfully and immediately fill
that diaper right back up with a toxic substance probably banned by the Geneva
Convention knows what I’m talking about.

The Israelites are the same
way. Over and over again, they long for their days ofslavery in Egypt over freedom in the
wilderness. The more the going gets tough out in the Sinai peninsula, the more
rosy their memories of their time in Egypt becomes. “Meh! The work wasn’t that
hard! At least we had cucumbers!”

Forgotten is the groaning that
they raised up to God—groaning so loud that God could not ignore it. Nope, just
like infants, the minute their tummies grumble or their mouths get dry, they
turn and bite the hand that feeds them. Last week we saw God provide them with
meat and bread, manna and quail that fell from the sky, and all the Israelites
had to do was go and pick it up. Today, it’s water—or, specifically, the
perceived lack of it. Gripe, gripe, gripe. Complain, complain, complain. I think
that’s one of the reasons why, although it did them very little credit, the
ancient Israelites liked to tell this story on themselves-- one of the side
purposes was probably to explain just why they complained so much, as all of us
do.

Sometimes, we focus on what
we don’t have instead of what we do. Here are the Israelites, freed from
slavery in Egypt, moaning about how their every need isn’t being taken care of
while they are traveling back to their homeland. We are an unhappy,
discontented, grumbling people at times. Our reading from Exodus today is one
of an Old Testament genre called “murmuring stories.” These are stories in
which the people “murmur”—in our text, it is rendered as “quarreled,” but it
seems that misses the flavor. “Murmuring against” someone is so much more
suggestive of that tendency we all have to mutter just audibly enough to be
heard, that passive-aggressive tactic that allows one to later deny that she
has said anything at all. Murmuring of this type is filled with negativity, ingratitude,
a simmering resentment. Freedom includes responsibility to look at our
situation with clear eyes. And the first step is to be glad that we are free.

In Exodus 16, we hear the
first mention of the conveniently named “Wilderness of Sin,” which is also
called the “wilderness of Zin” in Numbers, as well as “Wilderness of Sinai.”
Wilderness of Sinai has an entirely different feeling, however—in English, a
“wilderness of sin” elicits a metaphorical response: who hasn’t felt lost in a
wilderness of sin? The concept of wilderness also creates images of chaos,
bleakness, desolation. Wilderness is where Jesus goes to be tempted and to
encounter Satan, but it’s also a place where one can be alone and encounter
God, as when Moses discovered the burning bush. The “Wilderness of Sin” will
make three appearances named as such in the Torah: In Exodus 16, Exodus 17, and
Numbers 33. We also see Moses using his staff, as he did when he turned the
Nile into blood, and when he turned that staff itself into a snake before the
Pharaoh as signs of God’s power and might.

A parallel version of this
story appears in Numbers 20:1-13, but has an entirely different spin, since it
appears as though Moses and Aaron make it sound as if they themselves, are the
ones who make the water come out of the rock, rather than the “holiness of
God.” In the Numbers version, afterwards, God then punishes Moses and Aaron by
declaring that they will not get to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land.

Meribah means “strife,” or
“contention,” and Massah means “test.” Moses names this place Massah and
Meribah because the people are demonstrating a lack of trust in God—and if you
know scripture, this certainly won’t be the last time, either.

There is a lesson here for
all of us. The people have been in the wilderness for about two months, and
they are wondering where that “land flowing with milk and honey” is. But more
immediately, they need water, and supplies are getting low. Even though they
have come so far, the people question the commitment of God to provide for
them, to care for them in this most basic need. But that saying “It’s always
darkest before the dawn” really does have some truth behind it. Rather than
focus on how we feel deprived, or lash out in fear when we feel uncertain, we can
remind ourselves of the blessing of being one people, united by a common
calling and a common identity, our common love of God, who has freed us so that
we can love God through our own choice.

3 That which we have heard and known,
and what our forefathers have told us,

we
will not hide from their children.

4 We will recount to generations to
come
the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the LORD,

and
the wonderful works he has done.

12 He worked marvels in the sight of
their forefathers,

in
the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

13 He split open the sea and let them
pass through;

he
made the waters stand up like walls.

14 He led them with a cloud by day,

and
all the night through with a glow of fire.

15 He split the hard rocks in the
wilderness

and
gave them drink as from the great deep.

16 He brought streams out of the cliff,

and
the waters gushed out like rivers.

This
psalm has two main purposes: to praise and to instruct. When we tell stories
about our past, both of these purposes can be accomplished. There has been a
lot of hubbub in the education world this week about students walking out of
class in Texas in response of attempts of some conservative school board members
to forbid the criticism of American actions in the teaching of US history, in
particular. Psalm 78 is an example of this kind of celebratory history: All the
good bits of God’s help to Israel during the Exodus are here. But what is
missing? Look back at our reading from Exodus. Yes, that’s right. All the
complaining and kvetching and ingratitude of the Israelites is missing. And
what is the result of this selective recounting of the very story we’ve been
reading all these weeks compared to the one from Exodus?

It’s
a completely different story, that’s what.

It’s
not a different story about God, really, but it kind of loses the flavor of God
providing for the people EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE ACTING LIKE UNGRATEFUL TODDLERS.
God certainly is good in Psalm 78, but let’s face it, anyone who has spent time
with a kid or a pet knows that being generous and compassionate even in the
face of mulishness and constant demands is even more praise-worthy.

Verses
15-16 tell the part of the Exodus story we just read a few minutes ago.

In
verse 12, there is a reference to the “field of Zoan.” The name “Zoan” means
“place of departure,” and refers to the place where the Israelites left Egypt
by crossing the Red Sea, although really Zoan is on the Tanitic branch of the
Nile, so called because it is near the ancient city of Tanis.

Once
again proving the danger of the internet to lead one down immensely pleasurable
but nonetheless time-wasting rabbit holes, I discovered that, according to http://biblehub.com/topical/z/zoan.htm, this was
the location of the ancient city of Tanis. Tanis… Tanis…. And suddenly, my
weird encyclopedic knowledge of movie dialogue and song lyrics brought me to
type these words into Google: “Indiana Jones Tanis” and hit return. Behold, friends!
I give you this, from http://indianajones.wikia.com/wiki/Tanis!

Indiana
Jones uses the correct length of staff to be able to find the Well of Souls in
Tanis, which contained the Ark of the Covenant. So cool! The fact that he
later got thrown into the Well of Souls to die is a mere trifle.

Yes,
the fields of Zoan, AKA Tanis, was the city that Nazi-funded Rene Belloch and
Indiana Jones both were searching to find the Lost Ark of the movie title. And
if you do not know what I am talking about, please run, do not walk, to Netflix
and watch Raiders of the Lost Ark,
and then come back. You can thank me later.

When
Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came
to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority are you doing
these things, and who gave you this authority?" 24Jesus said to
them, "I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I
will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25Did the
baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?" And they
argued with one another, "If we say, `From heaven,' he will say to us,
`Why then did you not believe him?' 26But if we say, `Of human
origin,' we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet." 27So
they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them,
"Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28"What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the
first and said, `Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' 29He
answered, `I will not'; but later he changed his mind and went. 30The
father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, `I go, sir'; but
he did not go. 31Which of the two did the will of his father?"
They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you,
the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead
of you. 32For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you
did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him;
and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him."

The setting in context: In
chapter 21 of Matthew, Jesus makes a triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The crowds
(some, but not all ,of Jerusalem) greet him with shouts full of messianic
imagery in v. 21:9: “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes
in the name of the Lord!” (language we recognize from the opening of the
liturgy leading to Eucharist in Eucharistic Prayer A). He proceeds to get right
in the face of the priests and Pharisees by engaging in his wild cleansing of
the Temple in vv. 12-17. Then we have the humorous and petulant nugget of a
story of Jesus cursing of the fig tree that bore no fruit in verses 18-22. The
cleansing of the Temple is not just a religious act of a zealot but a political
act that could undermine the role of the chief priests and elders in the eyes
of the Jewish population. The chief priests and elders believe that they serve
an important role as intermediaries between the people and the occupying Roman
Empire. And here comes this wild-eyed erratic hick, claiming that he is all
about peace while looting the Temple’s marketplace, threatening to bring
disaster down upon everyone’s heads.

So let’s understand: when
the chief priests and elders approach Jesus in v. 23, they are fully aware of
the criticism he is leveling at them in these actions, and in that it seems
like a big chunk of Jerusalem agrees with him. And they are PISSED. So you can
bet there was a certain… tone… in their opening question, a definite visual
once-over that takes in his peasant’s clothing and dusty sandals and probably
unkempt hair and sweat stains from all that throwing money-changers’ tables
around. “Who the heck do you think you are??” they ask with an implied sneer. “We’re
the people with the power around here. We’ve got a nice set-up here, and we’re
not about to let some carpenter’s son from the sticks imply that they are
promoting irreverence and blasphemy.” Allowing the sale of animals and the
breaking of change is a practical matter in a cultic system that requires
animal sacrifice.

So Jesus does that really
annoying thing that most of us can’t stand: he answers a question with a
question. And some of us who have been following along all through the year
probably are glad to see him taking a page from the playbook of his opponents and
trying to use a question to trip them up instead, since this certainly was one
of their favorite tactics. It is obvious at this point that Jesus is in no mood
to play. There are 10 different times in the Gospel of Matthew in which Jesus
is asked questions directly, and at least three times were Matthew notes the
questions were asked in order to “test” Jesus.Although the primary cause of this question is indignation and probably
not a little fear, Jesus uses this occasion as a chance to test them, his
opponents. Jesus agrees to answer their question—if, first, they can answer a
question of his.

And the chief priests and
elders did not get to the position they are in now without sensing the trap. His
question in v. 25 gets at the heart of the authority of John the Baptist. The
game is afoot! Given that the authorities have opposed John the Baptist, they
certainly cannot say that his actions were ordained by God;yet, if they answer that John was a fraud, religiously
speaking, they could very well face a riot, since many of the people who supported
the temple believed in John.So they
fall back on the classic answer used by students everywhere: “we don’t know.”
And when they chicken out, Jesus then responds with a refusal to answer.

Jesus’s question gets at the
heart of his ministry, however. And in a way, he does answer their question—or
at least provides a hint for the readers of the gospel of Matthew. Jesus’s
ministry had started with his baptism by John. In Matthew’s Gospel, the
beginning of chapter 3 explains that John served as a prophet, announcing the
coming of Jesus, the Messiah. Jesus was baptized by John in chapter 3, and is driven
immediately thereafter into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit, in 4:1-11, to be
tested by the devil.At Matthew 4:12,
Jesus begins his ministry in Galilee, and in v. 18 he calls his first
disciples; by v. 23 crowds of people are following him. The authority of Jesus
and the authority of John build upon each other: John is the foundation, and
Jesus is the New Temple built upon that foundation, as was hinted at in the
questions that the devil asked him in the wilderness in chapter 4. What Jesus
is saying here is this: if John’s authority comes from God, then so does that
of Jesus, since Jesus is the fulfillment of John’s prophecies and ministry.

The second half of our
reading makes this linkage explicit. The parable of the two sons is the first
of three parables that expose the greed and injustice of Jerusalem’s religious
leaders--the other two include the
Parable of the Wicked Tenants (which we will read next week) and the Parable of
the Wedding Banquet (which is not read during this liturgical year at all).

Any of us who have spent
time with teenagers can see that the story of the two sons is pulled from real
life. If I had a dollar for every time one of my students or my children had
told me they were going to do something, and then didn’t do it, I could buy a
football team. The refusal of the kid to do something, only to go ahead and do
it later, also happens, although not as frequently as we would like. Sometimes
kids just have to refuse to do stuff to assert their independence, even when
they know that there’s a good reason to do the thing they’ve been asked to do.

The Pharisees, the religious
leaders, and the elders, all claim to be doing the will of God, and being
obedient to God. Their notions of purity and propriety lead them to condemn and
sometimes even shun others—specifically, the tax collectors and prostitutes
that Jesus mentions in v. 31.Yet, those
same outcasts, those people limited to the margins of society by the rules of
the authorities, are exactly the people who are listening to Jesus’s radical
gospel message. Jesus makes it clear that although the lives of tax collectors
and prostitutes may not have been examples of obedience up to this point,
ultimately they demonstrate obedience by becoming true disciples of Christ—by
being transformed in the way that our epistle speaks of. The repeated refusal
of the chief priests and elders to understand Jesus’s authority as the Messiah
places them in the role of the first son in the parable.

Saying you are going to do something is not
enough, unless you follow through. Now, of course, refusing to do something and
then later doing it is also pretty stupid. But, at least in that second case,
the work does eventually get done. Just as in the parable of a lot of sheet
that Jesus told in Matthew 18:10 -14; just as in the parable of the laborers in
the vineyard that we heard last week; what ultimately matters is that you attend
to the Gospel, accept it, and are transformed by it.

O God, we rise to give thanks for your mercy and protection spread as a canopy over us today. May our prayers ascend to you and our hearts be drawn to You, for You are our God and Savior. May we turn aside from selfishness and envy, and seek forgiveness from those we have wronged. May we remember our unity with all creation; may our hearts be joined in love and fellowship. Place your hand of blessing upon the crown of our heads; consecrate us to your service today. Hold us fast within the embrace of your love and wisdom; guide us in the paths of justice and compassion. Give your peace which passes all understanding to those we now name.Amen.

(inspired by Psalm 31)
In You, O God, do we take refuge:
our trust is in You as we cry out in distress.
Even when the darkness surrounds us,
when walls close in upon us,
You are our mighty fortress.
Preserve us within the storms of life,
for though the tempest rages about us,
You are our God.
Mighty winds may blow and howl,
but You,
O God,
are our rock of refuge and stronghold to keep us safe.
For You take heed of our souls' distress
and will never give us up to the power of darkness and despair.
We rest in the hands of the Almighty:
we rejoice in your mercy and lovingkindness.
Watch over your children, we pray,
and embrace those who rest within You, especially:

(inspired by Psalm 31) In You, O God, do we take refuge: our trust is in You as we cry out in distress. Even when the darkness surrounds us, when walls close in upon us, You are our mighty fortress. Preserve us within the storms of life, for though the tempest rages about us, You are our God. Mighty winds may blow and howl, but You, O God, are our rock of refuge and stronghold to keep us safe. For You take heed of our souls' distress and will never give us up to the power of darkness and despair. We rest in the hands of the Almighty: we rejoice in your mercy and lovingkindness. Watch over your children, we pray, and embrace those who rest within You

If
then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any
sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2make my joy
complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and
of one mind. 3Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in
humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4Let each of you
look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5Let
the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

6who, though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God

as something to be exploited,

7but emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,

being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form,

8he humbled himself

and became obedient to the point of
death--

even death on a cross.

9Therefore God also highly exalted him

and gave him the name

that is above every name,

10so that at the name of Jesus

every knee should bend,

in heaven and on earth and under the
earth,

11and every tongue should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

12Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me,
not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling; 13for it is God who is at work in
you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

(Note: some of these verses
– in particular, 5 through11 -- are part of the Palm Sunday liturgy.)

Well, this just about sums
it all up, doesn’t it? If we want to be Christ-like, we have to be humble and
completely self-effacing. It’s in the very nature of who we understand Christ
to be, and that the Pauline epistles do such a good job of reminding us: one
who was the greatest became a humble human, and not just a human but a peasant
in the farthest, out-of-the-way occupied corner of a vast and relentless
empire. Jesus faced rejection again and again, even to the point of being
accused of being a rebel and blasphemer and dying for it.

At verse 7, Paul speaks of
Jesus “emptying himself” of all his rightful honor and glory due to him as the
Son of God, and choosing to be born lowly as a human. The Greek term for this
is “kenosis,” and this section of
Philippians is known as “the kenosis
hymn.”

Kenosis is emptying
ourselves of our willfulness, all of our prerogatives for self- aggrandizement,
and becoming completely obedient to God. For Jesus, this means giving up all of
the power he could wield as the Son of God, all of his ability to simply say
“NO!” and being obedient to God’s will. As Christians, we seek to emulate
Christ’s humanity as much as possible, and we are also called to obedience and
humility—and after all, we have a lot more to be humble about!

This is an act of obedience,
of bending our human will to the will of God. Discipleship leads to
paradox—being humble will lead to exaltation, the last shall be first, the
youngest will triumph over the eldest. We see this pattern over and over again
in scriptures, and we’ve noted it several times this year.

The final two verses remind
us that discipleship has to be oriented to doing God’s will, not our own. It’s
too easy to fall into the belief that Jesus, God incarnate, is just like us
rather than trying to be more like Him.

In one of my classes this
week, we were talking about this quote from Anne Lamott:

That’s always been one of
the main challenges in Christianity. We anthropomorphize God, turning that
whole “made in God’s image” thing from Genesis on its head. We don’t need a God
who is more like us. We need to be a people who are more like God. And the good
news is, we already have a template: God has lived among us as one of us, and
God continues to live among us. And as self-proclaimed members of the Body of
Christ, there is our charge. Even though it is clear, it certainly is not easy.
Transformation never is. Transformation, both of ourselves and of our world,
requires work, and that starts with the will to do it (v. 13).

May we have the will to do
the work. May we allow God to be at work in us, so that we may do God’s work in
the world.

Friday, September 26, 2014

For Rosh HoshanaAll-Merciful, Beneficent One, we thank you for this
new day and new year You have given us. May we dedicate ourselves to
strengthening the bond of love and friendship that holds us in orbit
around each other. May we be determined to heal where there is division,
to comfort where there is sorrow, and to forgive where there is injury.
May we be mirrors to reflect the light and beauty of your Truth into
the world. May we seek righteousness without self-righteousness, and
walk humbly with our God and our neighbors. May our prayers and praises
rise before You, as we lift up those whose trust is in You, Loving One.Amen.

For Rosh Hoshana All-Merciful, Beneficent One, we thank you for this
new day and new year You have given us. May we dedicate ourselves to
strengthening the bond of love and friendship that holds us in orbit
around each other. May we be determined to heal where there is division,
to comfort where there is sorrow, and to forgive where there is injury.
May we be mirrors to reflect the light and beauty of your Truth into
the world. May we seek righteousness without self-righteousness, and
walk humbly with our God and our neighbors. May our prayers and praises
rise before You, as we lift up those whose trust is in You, Loving One.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

O God, draw us to your light and truth, that we may sit at your feet in awe and reverence, in peace and safety. You are our Rock, O God, the solid ground on which we stand as our lives whirl around us. Let us stand before your courts, and sing praises to your grace, truth, and power, the foundation of our lives. We thank You for friends and loved ones who bless us and draw near us, who uphold us and support us always. I close my eyes, and feel your presence rest upon my shoulders with the warm weight of love. Send your Spirit to press upon me, O Holy One, let me nestle my head into the crook of your wing. Shade me from the heat of all that oppresses me, for it is in You that I trust. Although I falter, I feel the wind of your comfort at my back, and your loving-kindness bears me forward. Have mercy, O God, on all whose hope rests in You.

O God draw us to your light and truth, that we may sit at your feet in
awe and reverence, in peace and safety. You are our Rock, O God, the
solid ground on which we stand as our lives whirl around us. Let us
stand before your courts, and sing praises to your grace, truth, and
power, the foundation of our lives. We thank You for friends and loved
ones who bless us and draw near us, who uphold us and support us always.

I close my eyes, and feel your presence rest upon my shoulders with the
warm weight of love. Send your Spirit to press upon me, O Holy One, let
me nestle my head into the crook of your wing. Shade me from the heat
of all that oppresses me, for it is in You that I trust. Although I
falter, I feel the wind of your comfort at my back, and your
loving-kindness bears me forward.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Light of Life, Love of All Loves, hear our prayers, and hallow our ways.
We arise from our rest with the seal of God's protection upon us, and
gratitude fills our hearts and our mouths. Let our tongues sing out the
glory of God, which dawns upon us and provides light for our ways. O
Holy One, we rest within your embrace, and put our trust in You, for you
have claimed us and delivered us. Give us compassion for all living
beings, that we tread reverently upon the earth. Strengthen us in
walking your paths of mercy and humility, just as we pray to receive
mercy and forgiveness. O God, we lift up the needs of all those
disquieted in body, mind, heart, or spirit: let your blessing rest upon
them.

Light of Life, Love of All Loves, hear our prayers, and hallow our ways. We arise from our rest with the seal of God's protection upon us, and gratitude fills our hearts and our mouths. Let our tongues sing out the glory of God, which dawns upon us and provides light for our ways. O Holy One, we rest within your embrace, and put our trust in You, for you have claimed us and delivered us. Give us compassion for all living beings, that we tread reverently upon the earth. Strengthen us in walking your paths of mercy and humility, just as we pray to receive mercy and forgiveness. O God, we lift up the needs of all those disquieted in body, mind, heart, or spirit: let your blessing rest upon them.Amen.

Monday, September 22, 2014

O God, look with favor upon your servants today. Let us turn our hearts toward those who, in the midst of plenty, are in want in body or soul. Let us hunger for justice and redemption as much as we hunger for food. Let us remember how love has blessed us in our lives, and let go of discontent and rancor. Help us to stop building a mountain of our resentments, and dwell instead within the mansion of our blessings. Give your protection to those who are in danger from the cold this day, and let us work to give them shelter as our own. Comfort those whose needs we bring before You.Amen.

Sunday, September 21, 2014

You are our song, O God; you make our hearts glad as we enter your
sanctuary. Make us a holy people, consecrated and dedicated and
determined to glorify your Name. Breathe on us, O Breath of God: fill us
with your Spirit, and propel us into those places which most need the
light of Christ. In your great mercy forgive us all our offenses,
against both You and our brothers and sisters. May we open our hearts so
that Christ may reign in them always. Rest your hand upon all those
whom we now name.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

O God of All Creation, hear us as we draw near to You, and place our hearts at your feet. For the long green season that is closing, and in expectation of cooling nights and turning leaves, we thank You, O Lord. For the joy of children and the wonder of the innocent in helping us to see your world anew, we thank You, O Lord.
For the blessing of work for your service, and the constellations of
companions whose fellowship lightens the load, we thank You, O Lord.
For the wrongs we have done to others or to You, Loving One, that we
may repent and seek reconciliation, we pray to You, O Lord. For all our enemies in word or deed, that their hearts may be turned, and we may forgive, we pray You, O Lord. For those living in times of fire and storm, who struggle to stay above the rising tide of anxiety, we pray to You, O Lord. For those whose needs we remember before You throughout this day, especially those we now name.

Friday, September 19, 2014

O God we thank You for the joy You give us in Your creation. Buoyed by
your Holy Spirit, may our rejoicing testify throughout the world that
your Love endures forever! Let us be holy fools, instead of being wholly
foolish by failing to give You thanks and praise! Let our songs of
praise echo in the valleys of despair, for our God is lifting us up on
the wings of grace. May weeping depart with the rising sun, and joy come
to live in the home of our hearts. May the ground of our hearts, which
has been watered with tears, bear the fruit of love and compassion for
others. Knowing You are ever and always before, beside, and behind us,
we offer You the petitions of these loved ones.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Let us stand firmly on the holy ground of
your truth, and let us build ourselves into a house of holy action. Let
us remember that love is not shown in words but in action and attitude,
inspired by the Holy Spirit. Let everything we do be done to our utmost
in the name of love, with our hearts and souls poured out for You, O
Messiah. Let us seek to treasure and love our brothers and sisters as
much as we love ourselves.

Give us that wisdom and love that helps us
build your kingdom, Lord Christ. Let us never forget that where wisdom
and love meet, there is justice and peace. Let us advocate for our
sisters and intercede for our brothers, uniting our voices in the name
of compassion and hope. We pray especially for these needs and concerns
on our hearts today.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

O Loving God, with whispered sighs we place ourselves within the circle
of your mercy today. Help us tear down the walls of fear, rejection and
prejudice, and shield us from those who are heedless to the pain they
cause. We pray for those who find no rest, no peace, that the embrace of
your love may enfold them. We pray for those who feel they are sinking,
that the arms of grace may bear them up as a mother carries a sleeping
child. We pray for those exhausted from the fight, that the Spirit of
healing and strength warm them and bathe them in light. O Merciful God,
pour out your peace and grace like oil on the troubled waters of our
times. Send your blessing especially on those we now name.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Almighty One, bring us into the light of your love with thanksgiving and
humility.

Protect us and shield us from falling into sin or
frustration; teach us to cultivate equanimity in our hearts. Give us the
wisdom to do your will, and extend the bonds of our love to those with
whom we struggle. May we hold fast to your commandments as children hold
tight to the hands of their mother.

Make us ardent lovers of your
truth, steadfast in our devotion to You and each other. Draw us within
the gravity of your grace, and remember always your call to faithfulness
and peace. Accept the prayers and concerns which overflow our hearts,
and anoint the hearts of those for whom we pray.

Monday, September 15, 2014

Holy One, You are our Alpha and our Omega: let us offer everything
within us to You. Consecrate us and hallow us: make us a people of
prayer, and a people of action. O God, You are our Shepherd: may we open
our ears and hearts to hear you in both the silences and the storms.
Lord Christ, You are our Guide: may our lives witness to your Gospel and
sing out your Truth. Holy Spirit, You are our Comforter: may the hope
You give us overflow our hearts and help us bring hope to the world. May
we breathe in the Love of God, and breathe out the Peace of God. May
all we do be centered upon building your kingdom today. May we be a
people of joy, a people of thankfulness, a people sealed and marked as
Christ's own in the world. Centered in your bountiful mercy and grace, O
God, we remember and offer up these loved ones who call upon You.

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Let us praise God with all of creation, and enter God's sanctuary with
thanksgiving! Let us answer the call of love and worship with each
other, praising the gift of this new day. May we sit at the feet of wise
mothers and fathers, and be inspired by their lives of service and
faith to You. May we contemplate and treasure your word, and may it take
root and flower within our hearts. May our spirits ascend like incense
toward the light of your wisdom, O Holy One. May we offer to you, O
Savior, our everything, that we may be filled with your light and truth.
Unite us in love with one another, that we may glorify your Holy Name.
Bend your ear to hear our prayers, and extend the awning of your love
over those for whom we pray.

Saturday, September 13, 2014

God of Glory, You are the captain of our souls and our safe harbor from
all enemies: let us praise your Holy Name. You have guided us through
the trackless time of dreaming: we thank You for your love which never
sleeps. Let us cast off all that anchors us down in uncertainty. Let the
light of your favor and mercy steer us past the shoals our enemies
place before us. May we raise up our blessings and allow our heartaches
to drift away on a rising tide of prayer and praise. Breathe your
spirit upon us and send us forward into the dawn, bearing the precious
weight of your truth and justice. May we run with the wind of your
grace behind us, urging us toward the horizon of hope and peace. Place
your angels on watch over all who call upon your mercy, O Holy One.

Friday, September 12, 2014

Lord,
we thank You for your watching over us through the night: let us place
ourselves in your hands this day.

May our actions be witness to your
unfailing love and mercy, O God of Grace. Help us to be thankful for
those whose love uplifts us and bring us
closer to You, the Source of All Love.

Let us never be detached in the
face of sadness or suffering, O Redeemer, but honor one another's beauty
and humanity. Mindful of our faults, make us humble and compassionate
in our reactions: let our hearts be clay in your hands. Let us be
generous in love and slow to anger, seeking reconciliation from those we
have hurt.

May we treat each other as beloved brothers and sisters in
Christ, who calls us to unity in love and faithfulness. Grateful in our
fellowship with You and with all creation, we ask your blessing upon our
brothers and sisters.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

"Poppy Field" by Claude Monet. Poppies have been used to memorialize the loss of life in battle; their crimson color reminds us of the price paid in war. From the Musee d'Orsay, Paris.

God, You show us through the glorious Trinity the way of mutual love that leads to action: hear our prayers, we pray. That we may place no bonds upon each other but the bonds of love, equality, and peace, we pray You, O God. That we may be knit together in a common cause to nourish all who hunger in body, mind, or soul, we pray You, O God. That we may use our might for mercy and justice, rather than vengeance and violence, we pray You, O God. That we may be faithful and compassionate stewards of your wondrous creation, we pray You, O God.
That we remember those we have lost through violence and terror, and
honor their lives by sowing peace and concord, we pray You, O God. Ground of our Being, Creator, Comforter, hear the prayers of your people, and extend your peace over those we now name.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

On the ceiling of the entryway into the Press building, Eden seminary.

Creator
God, we come before You in awe for the works of Your Hands which
sustain us in each moment and breath. You set the stars in their
courses- help us follow the paths of peace and justice this day. You
clothe the lilies of the field in beauty-- help
us to put on the raiment of righteousness and walk humbly with our
companions. Your eye is on the sparrow- watch over those who are in
need, sorrow, or pain, especially these we now name.

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

(Inspired by the Jubilate) You are the source of all goodness, O God, and our shelter in times of trial. The lands ring out their joy to God, whose mercy never fails. God calls each one by name, and we answer our shepherd's call. We know You have made us and are with us, O Loving One, and we sing your praise. Your gates open before us; let us enter with thanksgiving, sure in your reception and protection of us. We call upon You and You answer us, for your faithfulness endures from age to age. Strengthen and vouchsafe those who call upon You, especially these for whom we pray

Monday, September 8, 2014

Each
day is a precious gift, O God: Let our praise rise to You, as hope lifts
the hearts of your people. Here in Your embrace we have rested, O
Loving One. Now we go out to the harvest fields we are blessed to tend,
knit together in holy love. Let the roots
of hope grow deep. Let compassion overflow into the spaces where hearts
are hollow. Let us be drawn into the embrace of the One who knows all
our needs. Let those who are troubled be restored and renewed, filled
with the strength of God's grace. Here we offer our prayers to You, O
God.

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Bridal Veil Falls, Yosemite National Park, taken from the lookout point after the tunnel across the valley.

You
are our song, O God; you make our hearts glad as we enter your
sanctuary. Make us a holy people, consecrated and dedicated and
determined to glorify your Name. Breathe on us, O Breath of God: fill us
with your Spirit, and propel us into those places which
most need the light of Christ. In your great mercy forgive us all our
offenses, against both You and our brothers and sisters. May we open our
hearts so that Christ may reign in them always. Rest your hand upon all
those whom we now name.

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Almighty God, our spirits dance before you like flames of light: make us blaze anew with your lovingkindness.
Banish from us the darkness of intolerance, hatred and
misunderstanding. Lord, your kindnesses to us outnumber the stars that
guide us on our way and whisper your love.
Cradle us within your embrace, O Loving Mother, and make of us newborn
hearts, open as the sky to your mysteries. Bend over us, O Holy Father,
and hear our sighs and whispered prayers.

Friday, September 5, 2014

Glory to You, Loving One, glory to You: we rise to sing your praise. All things come into being at your Word: let all I do and all I am be inspired by You. You have molded all creation to work in harmony: let our love and obedience be a witness in the world. You abide with us in faithfulness even when we falter: may we seek you always in our need. You hold all our times in your hand: be with those who laugh and those who weep. May your Spirit rest upon those whose needs are known to You alone, and those whom we now name.

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Sometimes we fear we are sinking: if we are going to
sink, let us sink into your embrace, O Holy One. Sometimes we fear we
are lost: if we are going to get lost, let
us get lost in the beauty of Your creation. Sometimes, we are doubtful:
If we are going to doubt, let it draw us closer to faith.

Lord Christ,
you know the struggles we encounter: move into the chambers in our
hearts and fill them with grace. Be our companion and comfort, O Spirit,
in the chances and changes that confront us.

Mindful of all blessings,
and in unity with each other in good times and bad, we lift our prayers
before You, O Almighty.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Strawflowers on the grounds of Eden herald autumn and provide work for many skipper butterflies.

Breathe your Spirit upon us, O Holy One. Let us hear the symphony of our pulse and know the miracle of your grace. Let us empty our hearts of all resentment so that they may fill with gratitude. Let us sit at your feet and be grateful for each breath. Let us breathe in your wisdom, and breathe out your love. Let us be still and know that You are our God. Let us be one in spirit with You, O God, and with those for whom we pray

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Today, September 2, 2104, was Opening Convocation and my first class at Eden Seminary.

God
of Mercy and Compassion, we draw near to you in prayer in the glory of
this day. We praise You, Creator, for the stars in their courses and the
seas in their depths, for the splendor of all that is. O Christ, who
spread your loving arms wide upon the
cross, bring us into your embrace. O Spirit, inspire us to new heights
of devotion and serenity.

May we set our hearts and minds upon your
wisdom, O God, and tell out your truth is all we say and do. May we act
with generosity and compassion to all beings, and make each others'
burdens our own. Guide us in the ways of open-heartedness and truth, and
make us humble and devout in all our paths today.

Awed by your
unfailing love, O God, we ask your blessing upon those we now name.

Monday, September 1, 2014

Creator
God, who brought the universe into being as a mother births her
children: we thank You for the gift of this day.

Bless the handiwork of
all who labor, who toil with their hands, minds, and imaginations for
the benefit of all. Bless those whose work
feeds us, provides shelter for us, and increases our comfort. Bless
mechanics, electricians, carpenters, and all whose skill enriches our
common life. Bless doctors and nurses and health care workers, all those
whose work heals us and makes us well. Bless musicians, writers,
artists, and craftsmen, and all those whose work feeds our deepest
selves. Bless teachers, rabbis, ministers, and priests, who tend to our
souls and nurture our minds, drawing us closer to You. Bless those
leaders who serve our country with honor, who work to the benefit of the
greater good.

Remembering that we are all caught in a web of mutuality,
may we work for and uplift each other today and every day. Hear, O God,
the concerns of your people, especially for those we now name.